66 replies to this topic

[starrytrekchic]

I go to the local Starbucks several times a week. The staff has been wonderful. My favorite barista also can't have wheat, and they've had no problem with giving me the bags of syrups and such to read.

However, there are a lot of gluten containing drinks there. The light fraps, java-chip fraps, vanilla bean frap, vanilla chips, and several of the Tazo teas are off-limits. I've heard of others having gluten (salted something, creme base, something else), but I haven't found any updated info on this. Also, all the fraps are at risk of contamination. They should use a clean mixer if you ask.

They have a couple of gluten free granola-esque bars, but they're crazy expensive (1.95 for a tiny bar that was only okay and 3.95 for a larger one I haven't tried.) They have other prepacked stuff that doesn't contain gluten but are processed on shared equipment with wheat.

Because there are so many risky drinks, I stick to a couple of standbys, either caffe mistos or earl gray tea, usually.

Write to the headquarters and complain about the manager! Contact the owner too.

[plumbago]

Just as an fyi...

Yesterday, I went to the Starbucks near me in DC.

The young man manning the register was decent about my requests. I checked the bags of the three ingredients (coffee flavor - what's up with that? coffee flavor?? in a coffee shop?), mocha powder, and coffee - no gluten ingredients.

[bartfull]

But most of their ice cream is gluten free AND corn free. I can eat it! And it's SOOOOOO GOOOOOD!

[Poppi]

My knit night has been meeting at a Starbucks over the summer while our favourite (and gluten-free friendly) coffee shop is closed for the summer. This place has been really good about letting me see the ingredients and now I know I can have a caramel macchiato, a chai latte or a vanilla latte hot or iced so I'm happy. Plus there is always the Passion Tea Lemonade to fall back on if I don't feel like tea or coffee. The lack of treats is sad but pretty soon I will be back at my favourite coffee place which stocks yummy goodies from the Silly Yak bakery.

When I was down in San Diego a couple of weeks ago I fell in love with the Cool Lime Refresher. I wish we had those in Canada...soooooo good.

[sariesue]

Last summer I worked at starbucks and we did have allergy training including cc. But, it might have been location specific one of our shift supervisors had celiac and another food allergy. However, while the chocolate mocha was gluten-free when I worked there the white mocha sauce was not. But, the mocha does have a good chance of cc because unlike most of the syrups at starbucks the mocha is batch made in the store. I wish I could remember about the carmel sauce. I really want some

[plumbago]

Thanks for that perspective Sarie Sue. The three plastic sacks of ingredients I looked at did not at all seem to have been made in the store since they came with writing on the bag. Also it is possible, during a down time, to ask the staff to clean a blender for you. I did.

[Marilyn R]

Thanks for that perspective Sarie Sue. The three plastic sacks of ingredients I looked at did not at all seem to have been made in the store since they came with writing on the bag. Also it is possible, during a down time, to ask the staff to clean a blender for you. I did.

I make my own coffee and chocolate syrup by scratch for less than it costs for a "straight" coffee at Starbucks, and make some delicious drinks in my blender. Sometimes it's about being social though.

[mbrookes]

I haven't been to a Starbucks either. I love coffe... but at those prices? No thanks.

[cougie23]

Maybe this has changed, but I used to work in a Starbucks and received no training re: gluten free. We washed those blenders constantly, but only by hand through most of the day and at lightning speed - more of a rinse. I wouldn't trust it at all unless all the syrups and other ingredients were gluten-free. I'm pretty sure they are not. As for refusing to show you the info, that's weird customer service. I'd report him to his manager. Maybe he didn't know where to find the info and didn't want to tell you that.

When I worked at star bucks..years ago...they didn't even teach us how to make any thing!!! Let alone anything about washing the utentsils or mechines...we had a three hour introductry course on the history of coffee... but nothing on how to MAKE the actual product! The first day on the job they handed me the COMUNAL book of recipies...and threw me in the mix...so to speak!!! forget about anything on cc...milk..gluten...soy or otherwise!!!
years later..by pure acident I found out that SOME stores soak their backery products in PEANUT oil!!! MY SON GOES TO THE HOSPITAL OVER PEANUT OIL!!! I'm GLAD I ASKED!!! No WARNING signs about it or anything!!! And that allergy is more publicly known than ours!!!
Its AMAZING the IGNORANCE out there!!! Especially for such a BIG company!

[cougie23]

I agree with you on that. As I said, I only have these things once in a while. The oatmeal is for the kids mostly. Usually I eat after I have taken the kids to school and get a Jamba Juice (of wich I read the ingredients of in the available book) or some eggs and bacon. I stay away from sausage. Carolinakip & love2travel, you have to go to Starbucks if you are a coffee drinker. They know me by name at a couple of the local stores in my town . I even went to Starbucks when my family (Wife, kids, mother and niece) traveled to France and England. The Cafe Creme was much better than Starbucks over there though.

Later,

Ray

What about THE COFFEE BEAN?...I find I get less tummy ahes from their coffee!....
And in re-ply to the other comments about Mc Donnalds...
Mc DONNALDS Allways gives me a TUMMY ache!

[CeliacSarah80]

I went to a Starbucks the other day, for the first time since I was diagnosed Celiac. I ordered an iced mocha and felt really dizzy and sick about 20 minutes after drinking half of it.

So I would have to agree that CC is pretty risky at these places. During the fall, they always have seasonal drinks that have little crumbly toppings etc. Blargh.

I miss my mocha drinks though - need to find a place that can guarantee gluten free!!

[norcal_gf]

I'm a little late to this discussions about Starbuck's but.... their hot chocolate is gluten free. And you can get regular chocolate, and white hot chocolate (even though it's not on the menu). I've had both without any problems.

[plumbago]

I'm a little late to this discussions about Starbuck's but.... their hot chocolate is gluten free. And you can get regular chocolate, and white hot chocolate (even though it's not on the menu). I've had both without any problems.

Great to know. (Can I ask how you found out?)

[researchmomma]

Is it even legal to refuse to give out allergy information? Starbuck's gets on my nerves. I usually go to Peet's.

They have to show you the ingredients! I asked about their hot chocolate recently and the woman handed me the huge bag and said she didn't know but I was free to look.

I think you ran into an A$$.

[Monklady123]

I'm glad to read this thread today because now that winter is here I'm spending one evening a week in Starbucks. My dd dances for 2 hours one night a week and we live just far enough away that it's not worth dropping her, driving home, then driving back to pick her up. In the warm weather I sit in the park, or get a coke from the hamburger place and sit at their tables outside. But in cold weather I have a choice of the ballet studio or Starbucks.

I have been mostly getting hot tea which is safe at my Starbucks because the coffee person doesn't do the tea. The cashier gets it and puts the tea bag and hot water in right away.

But then the holiday season arrived and I got a light peppermint mocha. oy. I woke up the next morning with that awful gluten headache. The next time I was there I asked for the ingredients and they immediately let me see the packages of peppermint syrup and mocha. I didn't see any gluten ingredients. So I ordered another one. Yep, had another reaction. So no more peppermint mocha drinks.

So I think hot tea is safe. If I was a sugary coffee drink I think I'll get iced coffee and put in a bunch of half-and-half for the cream effect.